Chapter 261: In the Midst of Transition

"Zhongda, do you want to go in and take a look? A hundred thousand volumes of books, Chen Zichuan is indeed generous!" Sima Lang, with no concern for appearances, leaned out and laughed as he looked at the scene below.

"I'm interested in those books, but I'm more interested in this paper," Sima Yi said with a hint of mockery on his face, clearly disdainful of the scholars below, and also mocking the noble families of the world for their desperate pursuit of books.

"Don't even think about it. Chen Zichuan seems to be the type who excels at everything, including the smallest details. For example, this grand library might seem like it cost billions, but out of boredom, I investigated Chen Zichuan's past. He's someone who makes every coin work like ten. Tsk tsk tsk," Sima Lang said with admiration, "Either the actual cost wasn't that high, or someone donated the funds. Both possibilities exist."

"Big brother, I think we should stay in Fenggao for a few more days. This place isn't bad," Sima Yi said, retracting his gaze and smiling as he looked at the food on the table.

"I have the same thought. I'd like to take a good look at Taishan Fenggao and learn from it," Sima Lang said calmly, showing a strong interest in the current system and prosperity of Taishan Fenggao.

Elsewhere, Zhuge Jin was expressing a similar sentiment. Aspiring to be an excellent civil official, Zhuge Jin felt a strong urge to observe and learn from the extremely prosperous Fenggao.

"Hmm, just from observing the situation earlier, and considering another nearby building and the recent rumors of soldiers retiring, it seems the library will be opening soon," Zhuge Liang nodded and said.

Zhuge Liang was very satisfied with Fenggao. It was more prosperous than Xuzhou and had more vitality. However, this prosperity seemed a bit chaotic to Zhuge Liang, though he didn't look down on it. He understood that this was merely the result of rapid growth and that, given time, it would naturally stabilize. Every place that transitions from poverty to wealth goes through this stage.

"Let's stay at this inn," Zhuge Jin said as he led his younger brother into Mi's Inn.

"Hmph, the Mi family, one of the top five wealthy merchants? This is the one!" Sima Yi looked left and right, unabashedly scrutinizing the shops around him before stopping in front of Mi's Inn. The Mi family had become the wealthiest in just a short time, without the centuries of heritage of other noble families. Sima Yi thought of the information he had gathered, his face showing the arrogance of a noble family as he walked into the inn owned by Mi Zhu.

At the Lumen Academy in Jingzhou, Xu Shu, after a year of study, had started to find his footing. However, since he came from a rough background, his thug-like demeanor hadn't entirely disappeared after a year of study. Most of the students at Lumen Academy didn't like Xu Shu, and, of course, Xu Shu didn't like them either.

"Bang!" Xu Shu kicked open a door, then instinctively grabbed it. Back when he was a thug, he never opened doors with his hands, and even after a year of study, he still hadn't broken the habit. However, he had developed the habit of kicking the door open and then grabbing the door handle.

"Yuan Zhi, just come in. You don't need to bother with the door," Pang Degong's helpless voice came from inside. Ever since he impulsively took in Xu Shu, the door to his room had been replaced several times.

"Master Pang, I'm here. Got any classic books for me?" Xu Shu, with a mix of a thug and a scholar's aura that didn't quite fit together, walked through the courtyard and casually sat down in front of Pang Degong.

Don't expect Xu Shu to observe any master-disciple etiquette. When Pang Degong discovered Xu Shu, he saw him as a good seedling that had grown crooked. After cutting off the bad parts, he could become a pillar of talent, so Pang Degong decided to take Xu Shu as a disciple. However, Pang Degong was stunned by Xu Shu's worldly and street-smart theories.

Xu Shu's analogies were crude, but his explanation of the Han Dynasty as a small city, with wealthy households, poor people, thugs, and government offices, surprisingly fit the situation. The goal was simply to become the boss!

Pang Degong was astonished and brought Xu Shu to his Lumen Academy. He didn't officially take him as a disciple, and Xu Shu, being in his thug phase, didn't show much respect either. He casually called Pang Degong "old man" and didn't care. So Xu Shu ended up with the title of Pang Degong's peer in the academy, just attending classes.

After some time, Xu Shu understood his situation, but by then, admitting he wanted to be Pang Degong's disciple would have been a blow to his thug pride. So, Xu Shu didn't bother with it and continued to freeload at Pang Degong's classes, thinking that as long as he could mooch off Pang Degong, he was good.

"These are for you. Chen Zichuan asked me to give them to you," Pang Degong said with a sigh as he looked at the still-thuggish Xu Shu. He was indeed a good seedling, almost on par with the likes of Zhuge Liang, but he had grown crooked and now was even sprouting in all sorts of wild directions.

Pang Degong had hoped to personally educate Xu Shu, but he found himself powerless to do so. Xu Shu was simply too unruly. Now, he was studying military strategy, logistics, formations, and leadership all at once. Pang Degong had often wanted to tell Xu Shu to focus on one area, that he could become an outstanding strategist, but Xu Shu's attitude was always that of a genius who could do anything, leaving Pang Degong helpless to let him go his own way. Who knew, maybe he really was a genius who could master everything.

"Chen Zichuan?" Xu Shu thought for a moment. He didn't seem to have a friend by that name. Giving books as a gift was a significant gesture, especially these valuable paper-bound volumes. Which wealthy patron was this?

Lately, Xu Shu had been in a state where he ignored all worldly affairs, focusing solely on studying the classics. It was this dedication that had brought him to his current level, which would put many second-rate scholars to shame. If the students at Lumen Academy, who looked down on Xu Shu, knew about his progress, they would probably cough up blood in shock. His speed of improvement was astonishing.

"Chen Zichuan, the strategist under Liu Xuande, asked me to give them to you," Pang Degong explained helplessly. "It's time for you to start paying attention to the state of the world. A great general, strategist, or civil official must have a unique perspective on the world's situation. You can't just shut yourself away."

"Liu Xuande!" Xu Shu was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. "I knew Liu Xuande wouldn't forget me, his former assistant. Thank you! I'll go read these books now. You can continue resting. If I have any questions, I'll come to you."

Xu Shu came and went as he pleased, with no trace of a scholar's demeanor. In his current state, it seemed unlikely that he would shed his thuggish habits anytime soon.